Question: Consider the following statements:
(1) Scientists from New Zealand have released new maps of Continent Zealandia.
(2) Roughly 94% of the area of Zealandia is submerged.
Of the above correct statement/s is/are:
(a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
(c) Both 1&2
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c)
Related facts:
- A team of scientists from GNS Science, New Zealand’s, has created new bathymetric (shape of the ocean floor) and tectonic maps of Zealandia, Earth’s eighth continent.
- Zealandia — or Te Riu-a-Māui, as it’s referred to in the indigenous Māori language — is a 2 million-square-mile (5 million square kilometers) continent east of Australia, beneath modern-day New Zealand.
- About 94 percent of Zealandia is underwater with the only above water landmasses making up a few Pacific islands including New Zealand.
- The submerged continent of Zealandia broke away from the supercontinent Gondwanaland 83–79 million years ago.
- Gondwana was formed by splitting up of ancient supercontinent Pangaea .
- Even after the formation of Gondwana, the surface of the fragmented part continued to rearrange. Zealandia is one such rearranged structure.
- Until the year 2017, Zealandia was classified as a ‘micro-continent’ (like Madagascar Island) but due to its boundaries defined and located over an area of one million square kilometers and elected above the ocean crust, in the year 2017, it was formally given a Continent status.
Conditions for being a Continent:
- Elevation above surrounding area
- Distinctive geology
- Well-defined area
- Crust much thicker than that found on the ocean floor.
By-Amar Mani Upadhyay
Links:
http://www.sci-news.com/othersciences/geography/bathymetric-tectonic-maps-continent-zealandia-08591.html
https://www.livescience.com/lost-continent-zealandia-new-tectonic-map.html#:~:text=Zealandia%20%E2%80%94%20or%20Te%20Riu%2Da,formal%20continent%20status%20in%202017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealandia#Classification_as_a_continent